It will rain and rain... and rain some more heading into the weekend before Christmas. The first round of rain is the smaller one, and it could start Thursday evening. Rain will be likely after midnight into Friday. The second - and stronger - wave of low pressure will slog through the state Saturday night and Sunday morning.

The National Weather Service has now posted a flash flood watch for Indiana south of Interstate 70. The concern is that melting snow from the northern half of the state will combine with statewide rain totals of 2 to 4 inches this weekend to create areas of flooding. The Storm Prediction Center has also placed a few southern states under a slight risk for severe weather later Saturday and Sunday. We could hear thunder around here Saturday night. It will breezy through much of the weekend, with gusts up to 35 mph.

Watches and advisories(Photo: Paul Poteet)

The biggest rains will roll through from Saturday afternoon through early Sunday morning. Temperatures will rise from around 50 in Indianapolis on Saturday into the mid 50s Saturday night and early Sunday. The southeast part of the state will likely see the 60s.

Seven-day forecast(Photo: Paul Poteet)

That's all big news, but this is pretty significant, as well. Today is the first day in two weeks we'll have an above-average temperature day! Central Indiana begins above freezing and now stays there until sometime Sunday afternoon. By then, the center of the low pressure will have zoomed off to the northeast and no big snow problems are expected. It is possible that the northern third of the state could see snow showers Sunday night and Monday. Flurries could get into central Indiana, but - with the exception of the lake counties around South Bend - I don't expect snow to be on the ground in Indiana on Christmas morning.

Looks like a front could arrive in northwest Indiana by Christmas night, bringing some late-day snow to Gary and Lafayette. The rest of the state would see the snow on the day after Santa's come and gone.

Paul Poteet has reported weather in Central Indiana since the 1980s. Follow him on Twitter@PaulPoteet